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The You Design System
Helping businesses & individuals apply their UX skills to how they’re experienced by other people. Mike Curtis, Sr. UX Designer and author of The You Design System, has 21 years of experience in design, UX, marketing, e-commerce & sales.
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Latest from The You Design System
You Never Know Who Knows Someone
You Never Know Who Knows Someone
And how integrity can 10x your career.
Mike Curtis
Feb 5
Nobody Believed Me Until I Threw Up In Front of Them
Nobody Believed Me Until I Threw Up In Front of Them
Why does our pain only matter once it becomes a spectacle?
Mike Curtis
Feb 2
These Lesser-Value Questions Might Be Harming Your Career
These Lesser-Value Questions Might Be Harming Your Career
And how to ask higher-value questions instead.
Mike Curtis
Jan 26
The Human-Factor 50: Design with the Human in Mind
The Human-Factor 50: Design with the Human in Mind
A cheat sheet of foundational product psychology.
Mike Curtis
Jan 16
How to Deal with the Performative, Draining People in Your Life
How to Deal with the Performative, Draining People in Your Life
You get to decide what shapes your peace.
Mike Curtis
Jan 13
Home: Where Memory Meets Meaning
Home: Where Memory Meets Meaning
We can always return to ourselves.
Mike Curtis
Jan 10
The Person and the AI: Your Soft Skills Are Your Superpower in 2025
The Person and the AI: Your Soft Skills Are Your Superpower in 2025
Human skills are the new currency of workplace success.
Mike Curtis
Jan 8
How to Spark Creativity in 2025 and Solve Any Kind of Problem
How to Spark Creativity in 2025 and Solve Any Kind of Problem
With the quadrant method, innovation is inevitable.
Mike Curtis
Jan 1
Nobody Cares About You, Your Career, or Your Job Search
Nobody Cares About You, Your Career, or Your Job Search
I know what you’re thinking.
Mike Curtis
Nov 25, 2024
UX and the Psychology of Belonging
UX and the Psychology of Belonging
The most meaningful engagement metric is when someone finally feels at home in your product.
Mike Curtis
Nov 20, 2024
Write Yourself This Prescription for 2025 Goals and Career Success
Write Yourself This Prescription for 2025 Goals and Career Success
The doctor is in — and that person is YOU!
Mike Curtis
Nov 18, 2024
The Heartwarming Story Behind CSS’s New Logo and the Color That Changed the Web
The Heartwarming Story Behind CSS’s New Logo and the Color That Changed the Web
#rebeccapurple — A tribute to the girl who wanted a “big girl” name. ❤️
Mike Curtis
Nov 15, 2024
UX and the Psychology of Anticipation
UX and the Psychology of Anticipation
Customer experience doesn’t start and end within the boundaries of a screen.
Mike Curtis
Nov 13, 2024
Marcescence — An elegant word that holds a poetic, life-changing power
Marcescence — An elegant word that holds a poetic, life-changing power
The value of holding steady, even when life’s obstacles feel endless.
Mike Curtis
Nov 12, 2024
UX and the Psychology of Attention
UX and the Psychology of Attention
Ethically capturing focus in a world of endless distractions.
Mike Curtis
Nov 10, 2024
UX and the Psychology of Frustration
UX and the Psychology of Frustration
How the mind experiences and reacts to digital obstacles.
Mike Curtis
Nov 8, 2024
UX and the Psychology of Perception
UX and the Psychology of Perception
How the mind makes sense of the screen.
Mike Curtis
Nov 7, 2024
You Need to Work on Your Soft Skills to Get Hired and Promoted
You Need to Work on Your Soft Skills to Get Hired and Promoted
People hire potential, not perfection.
Mike Curtis
Nov 6, 2024
Always Assume Others Are In Some Amount of Pain
Always Assume Others Are In Some Amount of Pain
Life is too short to pretend they’re not.
Mike Curtis
Nov 5, 2024
Maybe My Problems Aren’t So Bad — A Lesson in Perspective
Maybe My Problems Aren’t So Bad — A Lesson in Perspective
Our squabbles paled in comparison to this family’s horror.
Mike Curtis
Nov 4, 2024
Some People Don’t Like The Beatles — What to Do with Negative Feedback
Some People Don’t Like The Beatles — What to Do with Negative Feedback
Psst…I’m one of “those” people. 🫢
Mike Curtis
Oct 30, 2024
Creating Your Magnum Opus: How to Transform Job-Seeking Deliverables into Career Art
Creating Your Magnum Opus: How to Transform Job-Seeking Deliverables into Career Art
Because you never know who’s looking — and why.
Mike Curtis
Oct 29, 2024
The Real Key to E-Commerce Loyalty: Why Emotional Connection Drives Retention
The Real Key to E-Commerce Loyalty: Why Emotional Connection Drives Retention
And why feelings matter more than discounts.
Mike Curtis
Oct 28, 2024
The Indescribable Feeling of Great Design
The Indescribable Feeling of Great Design
Your brain constantly seeks the action > response > satisfaction feedback loop.
Mike Curtis
Oct 24, 2024
What Do You Want Your Customers To Feel When They Buy From You?
What Do You Want Your Customers To Feel When They Buy From You?
Emotions unlock brand loyalty.
Mike Curtis
Oct 23, 2024
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